The Energy Institute (EI) announced, in a release sent to Rigzone on Thursday, that Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber has been made an honorary fellow of the EI “for leadership in energy, AI, and economic growth”. Al Jaber is the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology, Managing Director and Group CEO of ADNOC, Chairman of Masdar, and Executive Chairman of XRG. He was also president of COP28. “The EI has awarded an honorary fellowship to His Excellency Dr. Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, recognizing his leadership in the energy-AI nexus, while driving international collaboration to strengthen global energy systems that underpin sustainable economic growth,” the EI said in the release. The EI noted in its release that the award is its highest honor and added that it “acknowledges both Dr. Al Jaber’s transformational deal-making and his role in delivering among the world’s lowest cost and lowest carbon-intensive hydrocarbons, while also scaling renewables and applying advanced technology as global energy demand keeps surging to 2040 and beyond”. Honorary fellowship is awarded by the EI, led by President Andy Brown OBE FEI, to “individuals who have made a significant and lasting contribution to advancing the Institute’s mission – creating a better energy future through a just, secure, and low-carbon energy transition”, the EI highlighted in its release. “The honorary fellowship highlights Dr. Al Jaber’s unique experience across government, industry, and energy in building dialogue between producers, consumers, and across the public and private sectors as global energy demand rises,” it added. Al Jaber was presented with his honorary fellowship by Nick Wayth FEI, Chief Executive of the EI, during Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week 2026, the release highlighted. As Chairman of Masdar, Al Jaber has overseen a 150 percent increase in energy capacity to 51GW since 2022, the release noted, “positioning the

Singapore has opened applications for new licenses to supply liquefied natural gas (LNG) as a marine fuel at the Port of Singapore. “This call follows the recent updates to the Singapore LNG bunkering licensing framework and standards, which now include the provision of sea-based LNG reloading and the supply of liquefied bio-methane and e-methane in the Port of Singapore”, the Southeast Asian city-state’s Maritime and Port Authority (MPA) said in an online statement. Both existing license holders and prospective debutants can apply. Applications must be submitted online by March 27, MPA said. “Licensees are required to implement end-to-end LNG bunkering supply arrangements, which include securing LNG supply, demand planning, cargo transfers operations, storage and safe handling of LNG, as well as the sale, supply and delivery of LNG fuel to vessels in Singapore”, it said. Licensees must own at least one refueling vessel registered with Singapore and compliant to the MPA’s port limit throughout the license period, MPA said. Applicants must detail technical readiness to supply LNG with lower lifecycle planet-warming emissions, such as liquefied bio-methane and e-methane. “The proposal should also cover intended supply pathways and sourcing arrangements”, MPA added. Applicants must also outline measures to mitigate and monitor methane emissions from their bunkering vessels. Such measures must include vessel design features, operational practices and monitoring and reporting methods, MPA said. “To further enhance Singapore’s LNG bunkering ecosystem, MPA and Enterprise Singapore, through the Singapore Standards Council, will upgrade the existing Technical Reference for LNG Bunkering (TR56) to a Singapore Standard (SS) in Q2 2026”, it added. “The new SS will update and strengthen the requirements under TR56, aligning them with Singapore’s broader bunkering standards and serving as a key reference for LNG bunkering license applicants”. Last year MPA received over a dozen proposals under an invitation for expressions

WASHINGTON—The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today convened the first meeting of the National Coal Council (NCC) following U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright’s formal renewal of its charter—reversing the Biden Administration’s 2021 termination of the Council and reaffirming coal’s essential role in America’s national and economic security. Today’s convening of the NCC under renewed charter marks the formal implementation of that decision, restoring the National Coal Council as a key advisory body to inform coal policy, technology, and market considerations, advancing President Trump’s Executive Order, Reinvigorating America’s Beautiful Clean Coal Industry.   “For years, the Biden Administration waged war on American coal, shutting down coal plants prematurely, decimating American communities and workers, while also driving up energy prices,” said Secretary Wright. “Thanks to President Trump, the war on coal is over. The Trump Administration has already saved more than 15 GW of reliable coal power from shutting down and is working alongside American workers and the entire coal industry to ensure coal continues to be mined in the United States and continues to help provide reliable power to the American people. I look forward to working with the National Coal Council as it helps guide the Department’s efforts to strengthen America’s energy security and grid reliability.” “Coal remains a fundamental component of America’s energy strategy, providing essential energy for America’s infrastructure and industries,” said Assistant Secretary for the Office of Hydrocarbons and Geothermal Energy, Kyle Haustveit. “The National Coal Council’s expert recommendations will be instrumental toward our efforts to modernize and extend the life of our existing coal assets while also supporting the growth of new coal power generation, exports, and product manufacturing.” In the coming months, four regional coal workshops will be held to gather industry input that will inform Department programs and ensure they reflect market realities, workforce needs, and technological progress. During today’s meeting, which included workers and industry experts, council leadership was formally

Shale billionaire Harold Hamm said oil companies need guarantees that their assets won’t someday be seized by Venezuela if they help revive the nation’s crude production. “There is a lot of geopolitical risk in Venezuela. Exxon had been there twice and been nationalized, ” Hamm said in an interview Thursday with Bloomberg Television. “There have got to be guarantees against that. We have seen other companies burned real bad there.” Hamm, one of the oil industry’s most outspoken supporters of US President Donald Trump, said Venezuela is a much safer place as a result of the US removing former President Nicolás Maduro from power. The wildcatter was part of a group of oil executives who met with Trump at the White House last week to talk about boosting output in the South American nation, home to some of the world’s largest crude reserves. Trump has called on US oil companies to invest at least $100 billion in order to revive production in Venezuela after years of corruption, underinvestment and neglect ravaged output. Crude producers, however, are moving cautiously. Exxon Mobil Corp. Chief Executive Officer Darren Woods told Trump at the meeting that the country is currently “uninvestable.” Guarantees against Venezuela nationalizing US oil assets should come in the form of physical security but shouldn’t need to include financial assurances, Hamm said in a separate phone interview Thursday. As for companies that have had their assets in the country nationalized, “I’m sure they’re pretty dang cautious,” he added.  Asked if his Oklahoma City-based company, Continental Resources Inc., planned to enter Venezuela, Hamm told Bloomberg Television that he was monitoring the geopolitical situation and looking at the geology.  “That is what I have related to the president, and I think a lot of other executives did the same thing,” he said, adding in the

Oil fell the most since June after the US held off on attacking Iran for now as the country pledged not to execute protesters. West Texas Intermediate slumped 4.6% to settle near $59 a barrel on Thursday after a 10% jump over the past week. The New York Times reported that Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu asked US President Donald Trump to postpone plans for a military attack on Iran. The news reduced the likelihood of an immediate US response to a crackdown on a domestic uprising against the regime and of disruptions to Iranian production or key shipping lanes. That comes after Trump told reporters Wednesday that he had been informed the “killing in Iran is stopping,” adding he would be “very upset” if the country continued to execute protesters. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt reiterated on Thursday that there would be “grave consequences” if the violence continued, keeping investors on their toes. The US Treasury Department, meantime, announced sanctions on Iran’s Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council and 18 individuals and entities part of what it says is a shadow bank network, reinforcing expectations conflict is not immediate. “Developments in Iran, so very much part of the driving force behind the recent rally, have taken a much less anxious turn overnight,” said John Evans, an analyst at brokerage PVM. “The ladder of risk premium has been lost.” Oil has pushed higher in the new year as turmoil in OPEC’s fourth-largest producer, along with upheaval in Venezuela, added geopolitical risk to prices. There’s also been material disruption to Kazakh exports in the Black Sea due to a combination of drone attacks, maintenance and bad weather, which has also bolstered prices. Crude’s major swings in recent days have also been driven by financial flows. Bullish options volumes are

MidOcean Energy LLC, a liquefied natural gas company founded by EIG, is in talks to join Argentina’s signature LNG venture, according to people familiar with the matter. The $20 billion project led by state-run YPF SA and Italy’s Eni SpA envisages construction of at least two floating liquefaction vessels with annual capacity for 12 million tons off Argentina’s Atlantic coast. YPF executives have ambitions to incorporate a third vessel. Talks are at an early stage and MidOcean may yet walk away from the project known as Argentina LNG, said the people, who asked not to be named because the information is private. Saudi Aramco is an investor in MidOcean. President Javier Milei met MidOcean executives in Buenos Aires this week, according to a statement from his office that didn’t provide details of the meeting. “We were pleased to meet with President Milei to discuss opportunities in Argentina’s energy sector as part of our regular assessment of business development opportunities globally, and we look forward to continued engagement,” EIG said in an email, without providing further comment on the talks.  YPF declined to comment. Eni didn’t immediately reply to a request for comment. MidOcean holds stakes in gas-export plants in Australia, Peru and Canada, and has been looking to expand its portfolio. Abu Dhabi National Oil Co.’s overseas investment arm, XRG, agreed in November to join as an equity partner in Argentina LNG but hasn’t yet inked a binding deal. Argentina LNG is a key part of efforts to turn Argentina’s booming Vaca Muerta shale patch into a significant global provider of oil and gas. The exports could, in turn, drive a generational shift to stabilize the country’s crisis-prone economy. What do you think? We’d love to hear from you, join the conversation on the Rigzone Energy Network. The Rigzone Energy Network